Stencil screen frame



C. J. HANNAH ETAL STENCIL SCREEN FRAME Filed June 4, 1947 March 13, 1951 INVENTOR fllmrlas [Hannah Zasszllflla Jalr Patented Mar. 13, 1951 STENCIL SCREEN FRAME Charles J. Hannah and Russell D. La 'Salle, Paterson, N. J.

Application June 4, 1947, Serial No. 752,486

- 4 Claims. (01. 10112l'.1)

This invention relates to an improvement in a frame for screening used in textiles. The old style of frame and the frame in commen use is made of wood and is not durable, warps readily and as a result of the warping the pattern or design is distorted and results in sub.- 'stantial damage due to improper design and due to the cost of rapid replacement of frames as the said frames are sent out to various shops to be used in printing and are given rough usage.

Our invention has to deal with the construction of a frame made up in four sections preferably of magnesium, as that material is light and has a replaceable insert principally made of wood, which inserts are inexpensive and can be replaced from time to time. It is possible to make the frame in a single die cast. The frame does not warp and will last for years and is not expensive to manufacture and has been found not to warp or distort the pattern, as a result it is cheaper than using the present type of frame.

One form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross section view of the screeni-ng'frame in its applicable use; Figure 2 is a partial prospective view of a screening frame; Figure 3 is a fragmentary face view of same; Figure 4 is across section of a modified form of a screening frame and Figure 5 is another modified form of a screening frame and Figure 6 is another modification of the form of my invention.

Reading on Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, I is the frame made up of four equal sections Illa, each having a semicircular face portion ll, side portions I2 and connecting Web l3"and hand grip M, which said hand grip goes completely around the frame for easy manipulation. Each one of the four sections of the frame has a mitred edge [01), and therewith allowing one'to build an exact square frame. In order to hold the four sections together, four angle iron pieces 9 are used. The same are riveted to one section of the frame 'as at a and held together at the other end to the second member Illa by a screw 1, thus enabling an easy means of detaching the-frame l0 and inserting a new wedge member l6 when desired. s l'is a dove tailed groove in the semicircular portion ll of frame Ill, and I6 is-a wooden wedge imember; I1 is the screen carrying type of design -I8 and is tacked on to member l6 by nails IS,

modified form of the invention, 26is the circular opening in the said modified form of the invention, 21 is a rod insert.

Reading on Figure 5, 28 is the tubular frame of another modified form of the invention with a dove tailed groove 29, and a dove tailed wooden insert 30. g

The most conventional form of material as previously stated and the most desirable form is magnesium. However, any light material such as aluminum or any lighter alloy can be used; however, the preference is given to magnesium due to the lightness of the metal and the preference in having the frame made of an exceptionally light material. However, any of the metals or their alloys do not warp and besides by applying the screen to the type of frame herein described with a rounded surface, the said screen will not be damaged by the said frame. I The only portion of the invention which must be replaced from time to time will be the wedge portion IE, or its counter portions 21, 30. said wedge portion IE, or its counter portions 21 and 39 are slipped into the end and side portions of the frame and due to its mitred edges form a perfect junction when theinserts are completed. The material is then tacked to two of the edges on the said frame at the wood portion by use of thumb tacks or similar fastening means and the material is then stretched across the frame and tacked on the other edges by similar means.

Due to the construction of the frame having a rounded surface, there are no sharp edges on the frame member to contact the screen and there should be no breaking of the screen at the point of contact with the frame or any taking place during the operation by any pressure exerted during the transfer operation on the screen and will never interrupt the firmcontact between the frame member and the screen on account of the Wedge shaped edges of the wooden insert as the insert locks itself automatically in place and prevents any loosening of the units in relation to each other.

We have shown this frame in a modified form as shown in Figure 4 and in that modified form the insert is round.

We have also shown the frame in a modifie form as shown in Figure 5 made of tubular iron with an insert similar to the wedge shown in the preferred form, Figures 1, 2 and 3.

As illustrated in Figure 6, an open frame 3| is used with a reinforcing web 32, having a round recess 33. Instead of a solid-wedge member-a rope 34 is used and it is tucked in with the material H, from the outside of the frame. In this The In order to produce this case a solid piece of frame may be applied, and replacing of wedging member 34 is unnecessary as the material I! is not fixedly attached to same and therefore no replacement of member 34 is required as in the previously described forms of invention.

The recesses I5 in the various frame sections IUa are in the lower portions of such sections and are coextensive in length with the sections, opening through the ends of the sections. Such recesses I5 have mouths which open generally downward in order to expose the wood or other nail-receiving strips I6. These recesses I5-may in cross-section be dove-tailed or any other suitable geometric form in which some inner portions of the recesses are wider than the mouths so as to prevent the entrance or removal of the strips I6 through the mouths, inasmuch as the strips I6 are cross-sectional complements of the re-' cesses I5. Therefore the strips I6 are introducible' into the recesses I5 only when the sections are disassembled and only by a longitudinal sliding movement of the strips endwise of the recesses. The strips !6 are exposed on the ends of the sections Illa and the mitering or beveling iilb of the ends of the sections cooperates with the recesses I5 and strips I5 constructed as described in that when the beveled ends Iilb of the sections are assembled into the frame the ends of adjoining strips I6 are abutted. In this way, without the aid of any additional fastenings, the strips i5 are confined in the recesses l5 and also prevented from creeping or accidental longitudinal movement therein which might adversely affect the itaut condition of the stencil screen I! which is affixed to the strips I6 by the nails or other fastenings I9.

4 walls I2. This makes for a more rigid construction in an article wherein lightness is a prime requisite, which is the reason for the hollow crosssectional construction of the sections involved in the horizontally spaced walls I2 and in the verti cally spaced webs I3 and I3a.

Incidental to these constructions but contributing to the same unitary result, are the angled end connecting pieces 9 which are accommodated within the space between the hollow-walled construction I2, I3, I3a while the top webs I3 actually receive the fastenings 8, I by which these This construction also leads to another advantageous result in that the strips instead of being of the large cross-section of the entire frame may be made of a relatively small crosssection occupying a cross-sectionally small recess I5 in the lower portion only of the frame section. In other words the reinforcement which the strips I6 receive from the endwise abutting in the beveled or mitered end joints Iflb enable the use of strips I6 of a very small cross-section only deep enough to receive the nails or other fastenings I9. In this way substantial material is saved in the strips I5 and the frame lightened correspondingly', which fact cooperates with the hollow section of the metal frame which is another advantage of the invention.

A cross-sectionally small rceess I5 also enables the recess to' be diagonally disposed so that the "lower mouth thereof will not open vertically downwardly but will face outwardly of the lowest point'on the rounded bottom edge Ii of the frame. As shown in Figure 2 this construction removes the nail heads I9 to a position above contact with the material 20 to be printed.-

result it will be noted that the lower web I3a unlike the top connecting web i3 is inclined laterally between the two upstanding walls I2 with its higher end merging ,with the outer side wall 12 and its lower end merging into the lower portion of the inner side wall I2. "I'his l'esults inthe construction in which the inner side wall I2 is of greater vertical heightthan the outer side wall. Moreover the lower connecting web I341 is substantially thicker than the upper web I3 in order to accommodate 'the recess I5 and has substantial masses of material at'the sides of the recess I5 which are adjacent the lower end portions of the spaced side fore described; it being understood that the hollow-walledconstruction enables the angle retainers 9 to be obscured within the hollow walls and thus not to interrupt the smooth continuity of the external surfaces of the frame sections which is so desirable a'characteristic in the art of stencil frames.

While we have illustrated our invention in one form only and as made with specified materials, we do not intend to limit ourselves to that particular design, method and materials as it is apparent that other designs, methods and materials may be employed in obtaining the same results within the scope of our claims and without departing from the scope or spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. An improved stencil frame for use with stencil screens attached to the frame by headed fastenings comprising a plurality of sections having beveled ends adapted to be abutted together to constitute a generally rectangular open frame, retainer means for securing the sections together, said sections being hollow and each comprising inner and outer spaced substantially vertical side walls, said inner side wall extending down to; a lower elevation than the lower end of said outer side wall, an upper web connecting the upper ends of said inner and outer side Walls, an inclined lower web extending between the lowers ends'of said inner and outer side walls and having thiclperred-portions merging with the lower ends of said side walls and also having a recess extending substantially the length of the section and opening through the ends of the section, said lower web having a transversely-rounded bottom surface adapted to receive marginal portions of the screen, said recess having a mouth opening through the rounded bottom surface outwardly of the lowest point of said rounded surface adapted to receive outwardly and upwardly extending parts of the marginal portions of the screen, said recess having at least a pair of flat walls and an inner portion wider than said mouth, and a strip of nail-receivable material of substantially the same crass-section as that of said recess slidable longitudinally intoand out of said recess and exposed in'the outer lower portion of said rounded bottom surface through said mouth'adapted-to receive into said strip through said mouth the screen fastenings with the heads of the fastenings lying 'above'the lowermost point of the rounded bottom surface by which the frame is supported and which contacts the material to be printed.

said sections bein hollow and each comprising inner and outer spaced substantially vertical side ends of said inner and outer side walls, an inclined lower web extending between the lower ends of said inner and outer side walls and having thickened portions merging with the lower ends of said side walls and also having a recess extending substantially the length of the section and opening through the ends of the section, said lower web having a transversely-rounded bottom surface adapted to receive marginal portions of the screen, said recess having a mouth opening through the rounded bottom surface outwardly of the lowest point of said rounded surface adapted to receive outwardly and upwardly extending parts of the marginal portions of the screen, said recess having at least a pair of flat walls and an inner portion wider than said mouth, and a strip of nail-receivable material of substantially the same cross-section as that of said recess slidable longitudinally into and out of said recess and exposed in the outer lower portion of said rounded bottom surface through said mouth adapted to receive into said strip through said mouth the screen fastenings with the heads of the fastenings lying above the lowermost point of the rounded bottom surface by which the frame is supported and which contacts the material to be printed, and retainer means for securing said hollow sections in end abutting relation comprising angle pieces having legs lying wholly within the interiors of adjacent hollow sections, fastenings for securing the retainer means to adjacent sections, one at least of said fastenings being removable and insertible from the exterior of a section.

3. An improved stencil frame for use with stencil screens attached to the frame by nails comprising a frame body having transverselyrounded bottom surfaces and. recesses having at least a pair of flat walls with mouths opening on the outer lower portions of the rounded bottom surfaces outwardly of the lowest point of said surfaces with marginal portions of the screen adapted to be stretched under and in contact with said rounded surfaces and upwardly and outwardly across said mouths, the width of the mouths of said recesses not exceeding the width of the bottoms of said recesses, and nail-receivable strips in said recesses flush with the rounded bottom surfaces and exposed through said mouths to receive the screen attaching nails with the nail heads above the plane of the stretched stencil screen whereby the components of the stretching stress of the screen acting through the fastenings will tend to lock the strips in place in the recesses.

4. An improved stencil frame for use with stencil screens attached to the frame by nails comprising a frame body having bottom supporting surfaces and rounded surfaces outwardly of said bottom supporting surfaces curving from the outer portions of the bottom supporting surfaces upwardly and outwardly, said frame body having recesses with at least a pair of flat walls and with mouths opening outwardly and downwardly through said rounded surfaces with the axes of the depths of the recesses diagonal to the bottom surfaces of said frame, marginal portions of the screen adapted to be stretched under and in contact with both said bottom and rounded surfaces and upwardly and outwardly across the mouths of said recesses, the width of the mouths of said recesses not exceeding the width of the bottoms of said recesses, and nail-receivable strips wholly within said recesses flush with the rounded surfaces and exposed through. said mouths to receive the screen attaching nails with the nail heads above the plane of the stretched stencil screen whereby the components of the stretching stress of the screen acting through the fastenings will tend to lock the strips within said diagonally disposed recesses. I

CHARLES J. HANNAH. RUSSELL D. LA SALLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,226 Lelm Apr. 3, 1883 536,933 Morpeth Apr. 2, 1895 848,104 Herdle Mar. 26, 1907 1,092,442 Higgin Apr. 7, 1914 1,187,402 Traut June 13, 1916 1,248,858 Higgin Dec. 4, 1917 1,444,609 Hidalgo Feb. 6, 1923 1,467,787 Gremill Sept. 11, 1923 1,892,268 Flockhart Dec. 27, 1932 2,204,928 Culver June 18, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 533,477 France Dec. 10, 1921 1,373 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1885 349,411 Italy June 15, 1937 

